Dilation instruments are used, for example, in endoscopic ENT surgery in order to widen a patient's frontal sinus and to remove osseous growths in the frontal cavity.
To prevent the penetration of tissue into the dilation mechanism and to allow the resetting of segments of the dilation mechanism, a sheath can be pulled over the distal end of the shaft instrument that is equipped with the dilation tool. Because of the small structural size of the endoscopic instrument, it is very difficult to pull the sheath manually over the distal instrument tip while simultaneously guarding against damage to the sheath from this pulling motion, because the tools often comprise sharp-edged sections on the instrument tip.
Consequently it is the object of the invention to provide a method for mounting a sheath onto the distal end of a surgical shaft instrument, said method being simple to operate and making possible a fastening of the sheath on the instrument tip that is both rapid and protects the material. In addition it is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for performing the method.